The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 13 August 2014, starting from 6:00 PM at Gardner Community Center (520 W. Virginia Street).

Featured from San Jose DOT will be: Hans F. Larsen, Director; as well as John Brazil, Bicycle Programs.

The topic of this meeting concerns much of the work that Stakeholders SGV has contributed to over the years. Richard Zappelli, former President of Willow Glen Neighborhood Association, is also founding chair of Stakeholders SGV. Zappelli termed-out after nine years on the WGNA Board. But, through that duration, Lincoln Avenue improvements have been one of his initiatives. That includes the opposite side of Willow to Park Avenue. (Just last week Zappelli coordinated a street clean-up project on Lincoln, opposite of the Downtown Willow Glen Area).

As a liaison person to Willow Glen Business Association for over eight years, Zappelli also got that group to write a two-page letter in support of bicycle lanes, therein submitted to San Jose DOT. (WGBA, aka “Downtown Willow Glen).

Zappelli introduced Tom Trudell, Chair of the Our Avenue Committee, to Hans Larsen, Director of San Jose DOT. Zappelli has also been on the Our Avenue Committee, himself.

The original process for this initiative began in 2009, when Stakeholders SGV was formed. Coming into that group were two members from WGBA, two from WGNA and one from Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

Later on, additional members were added into Stakeholders SGV. For example: San Jose’s Deputy Fire Chief; Deputy Police Chief; Willow Glen’s Community Center Manager and so on. All these committee members had a “stake” in Lincoln Avenue’s traffic calming.

Accordingly, WGBA’s letter endorsed Zappelli’s proposal. But, its been sold publicly at large, —often misleadingly — as a wholesale reduction of Lincoln Avenue, from four lanes to just two.

That’s not exactly right.

It really goes like this…

First: two lanes will be established: one going north and the other south.

Second: at the center of the street, there will also be a lane dedicated for left or right turns, as well as for emergency vehicle access.

Third: there will be bicycle lanes added at the side of the street. Bicyclist will have a 5-foot wide lane on each side of the road, going north and south.

Fourth (lastly): parking spaces at the curb will remain. Side parking is not going anywhere, despite all the wrongful gossip.